Darkest Before the Dawn
by Yami's Girl 117
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a fairytale like none other before. True love had been found, yet taken away, leaving a frozen cowboy to fend for himself and his child. But maybe a certain farmer can prove to be the dawn that leads to his happily ever after.
1. Prologue

Well, I promised myself that I wouldn't post this until I updated 'Too Young to Know Love,' and… I broke that promise. Honestly, it's half written, I just need to do the other half.

So without further adieu, may I introduce one of the saddest things I will ever write.

* * *

_**Prologue**_

Most fairytales revolve around a poor, young, beautiful girl, waiting for her prince to save her from her dreary life. An evil stepmother maybe thrown in, maybe a witch and nothing more than a small fright. And at the end of every fairytale, a happily ever after is bestowed on our troubled protagonist. But this fairytale uproots itself from its traditional predecessors...

_Once upon a time, there was a lone cowboy, who wanted nothing more than a normal life. His parents had 'left him' at the age of four, leaving him with only memories of his mother's pained smiles and his father's physical abuse._

_After being taken in by his aunt, the little cowboy shied away from other human beings. He was constantly picked on for his amethyst eyes and his silver hair, and would always come home with a new bruise or cut for his aunt to make better. Everyday he would tell her what happened, and she always responded with the same thing, saying that 'It's always darkest before the dawn.' Even though he heard the phrase repeatedly, he could never fully understand its meaning, causing him more frustration. Eventually, the little cowboy couldn't take any more of the taunting, and discovered the horrible trait he obtained from his father, permanently paralyzing one of his bullies for life._

_He was forced to go to another school, where every child steered away from him. The little cowboy always found himself mad or bewildered, unsure of why everyone hated him. But as much as he would try to make a new friend, at the end of the day, he would always remain alone._

_After a few years, the little cowboy went from a confused, hateful child, to a handsome, anti-social, icy cold young man. He managed to make his way through high school, his only friend being the cousin he was forced to live with. He never paid any attention to other people, and barely even listened to his loving aunt._

_The young cowboy decided to move to the city, where he found a job with an animal trading company. He had only been working there for a year, when a lovely young woman came into the picture. She was a quiet, smart, and extremely beautiful petite girl, with sapphire eyes and chestnut hair, which was always tied into a pony tail. After a couple days of petty small talk, the beautiful girl was able to break through the young cowboy's paper thin shell._

_Within a year of dating, the cowboy and the girl fell in love and got married. He only had eyes for her, tending to her every need. Seeing her when he first woke up every morning gave him hope that his life was getting better. This hope only grew stronger when the young couple was surprised with the knowledge of the coming birth of their first child. Over the months, his love for his wife became greater, as did the love for his unborn child. And for once, he thought he understood what his aunt used to tell him._

_But fate had other plans for the young cowboy._

_Hours after celebrating the joy of a daughter coming into the world, the beautiful, young woman became ill and died, the reason unknown._

_It was that day, that the young cowboy repaired his broken shell, making it absolutely impenetrable. For as he watched the body of his dead wife being rolled out of the room, he made a promise to himself, and the tiny child he held in his arms._

_He swore that he would always love and care for his child, and would never fall in love again..._

_

* * *

_

So, I know it's short. I was had this combined with chapter 1, but then I was like 'Let's see what happens if I just put this up.'

Please review, and HELP! I need suggestions for the name of the baby and the wife.

Thanks again!

And there's no excuse not to review!


	2. Chapter 1

Here we go.

Thank you to

airtrafficstreams

PrincessToasty

Redvelvet

RandomSkittles (who was too lazy to login, lol)

XxAi-HimexX

Animefreak8810

poochyyxx

for reviewing this new story. I'm almost done the next chapter of Too Young to Know Love, so no worries. Lol

P.S. The spacing is kinda messed up. Sorry.

**_Chapter 1_**

It was a cold, rainy summer day when Mirabelle and Julia arrived at Vaughn's apartment. Moments after knocking on the door, it was opened slowly.

Mirabelle looked up into his emotionless eyes, her own full of sadness, pity, and a few tears. She took his larger hand into her smaller ones and spoke.

"Vaughn...I'm...so sorry." Her heavy southern accent full of sorrow.

He gave a grunt and took his hand back, moving from the doorway to let them in. His aunt knew not to take offense by his actions, and followed her nephew inside.

"Is there anythin' you want us to do?"

His cousin, Julia, tenderly asked him. He walked over to a mirror, where he fixed the tie around his neck. He let out a heavy sigh, turning back around to face them, his expression still unchanging.

"I want you and Julia to go with me to pick up the baby." His gruff, southern accented voice quietly filled the room.

"Sure, honey." Mirabelle said to him.

Vaughn walked over to a closet behind his black, leather couch, and pulled out a small, white baby carrier and a folded white blanket.

"Do you have a bottle and formula?" Julia asked her cousin. "The baby'll probably get hungry later on."

"I-We didn't think we needed them since-" He didn't finish, seeing as how his aunt realized what he meant.

"Oh, don't worry 'bout it. We'll just go to the store and get some."

Vaughn nodded his head, grabbing the baby carrier, and headed towards the door. Mirabelle took one last look around the apartment, before turning to see Vaughn and Julia standing outside the door. She gave him a small smile before making her way towards them.

* * *

Julia had volunteered herself to go into the grocery store to pick up a few bottles and some baby formula. She knew that her cousin had absolutely no idea about these things, especially with the current situation going on, and wanted to help out as much as she could. It pained her to see him shut everyone out again, as if his mind was building an entire brick wall around his emotions. (Pink Floyd, anyone?)

Julia made her way back to the rental car and got inside. The ride to the hospital was in complete silence. The three quickly made their way to the nursery and waited for a nurse to assist them. Vaughn stared blankly at the room full of newborns, unbothered by the sounds coming from his aunt and cousin.

"Oh, they're so adorable!"

"I can't wait to have one o' my own, Mama."

Vaughn sighed to himself. He still could not believe that she was gone. It was only a few days ago that he was holding her in his arms on their leather couch, watching her sleep peacefully. And now, he was less than an hour away from watching the love of his life be buried in the ground forever.

"Vaughn!"

His eyes widened as he felt a firm grasp on his arm. He turned a bit and saw that his aunt had grabbed him in order to obtain his attention.

"Honey, the nurse's been callin' your name."

Vaughn nodded his head and then proceeded to walk over to the small nurse's station. He signed a few papers and was told a few things about taking care of a newborn baby. When he was finally finished with the paper work, another nurse spoke up from behind him.

"Say hello to your daddy."

Vaughn turned around, and instantly, the indifferent, icy cold expression in his eyes and on his face quickly melted.

The nurse handed him the small bundle, and quickly headed back to the nursery.

Vaughn stared dumbfounded at his daughter while awkwardly holding her, taking in all of her features. It had only been the second time that he had seen her, the current situation keeping him busy the past few days. His eyes never left her peaceful, sleeping face. Her silver hair lay neatly on her head, with a small pink bow in the middle. He still wasn't sure of her eye color, seeing as how the last time he held her, she was asleep. But as beautiful as she was, he was a bit upset that she looked just like him, as if she inherited only his genes.

After what seemed like ages, Vaughn was brought back to reality by the sound of his cousin's voice.

"Oh, Vaughn! She's the most beautiful baby I have eva' seen!"

He looked up to see a few tears rolling down her face and her lower lip trembling a bit. His gaze met with his aunt's, who also had a few tears in her eyes. But the emotions that they displayed had no effect on him. He stared at them, as if they did not even know who they were.

Julia came closer to the two, wanting a better view of the baby. Before she could say anything, Vaughn handed the child over to his cousin, and turned his attention to the white baby carrier.

He fumbled around with it, trying to figure out how to lower the handle so a baby could be placed inside. Just as he was about to lose his patience with it, his aunt quickly came over and lowered it for him.

"I almost had it." He mumbled.

She gave him a light smile before taking the baby from Julia and placing her inside. After fastening the little buckles, she unfolded the white blanket and laid it on top of the sleeping beauty.

The three were about to leave with the new addition before a nurse stopped them.

"Sir! You still haven't named your baby, yet." She called, holding up the incomplete birth certificate.

Vaughn stood there with a blank look on his face, not knowing what to say. He and his wife had discussed a few names, yet they never came to a conclusion.

"I-I don't know." He mumbled his voice barely audible. After walking back to the nurse's station, he took the small paper into his hands, noticing that a doctor had filled in the names and ages of the birth parents, yet left the name of the baby blank, for obvious reasons. Vaughn just stared at the paper, hoping that something would come to mind.

The young nurse looked around her, making sure no one was around before she spoke in a low whisper.

"Normally, a baby isn't allowed to leave the hospital until he or she become apart of our records. However, with the given circumstances, I'll let you think about her name for a few days. But you have to bring the certificate back to me."

Vaughn nodded before turning to leave with his family, his mind now flooded with a new problem.

* * *

As beautiful as the ceremonies were, it felt as if they would never end. It was decided by Vaughn, who felt that things in life should be dealt with all at once as to avoid dragging them out, that the Wake, Mass, and Burial should be held all the same day. However, the three hours that had occurred were all a blur to the young cowboy.

A huge crowd was gathered at the cemetery, listening to the priest give his final blessing. As he finished his prayer, a light murmur was heard as dozens of flowers, ranging from carnations to moon drops, flew towards the coffin, all falling into the deep pit below. But everything was silenced when Vaughn slowly made his way to the coffin. He held in his left arm, his motherless child, and in his right hand, a single, white rose, her favorite flower. His expression never changed as he placed the rose in the center of the coffin. Vaughn stood there and watched as the casket was lowered to the ground, the sound of bag pipes playing in the distance. At that moment, he knew what to name his daughter.

The crowed slowly dispersed, making their way to the final destination where the funeral luncheon was being held. Mirabelle and Julia walked up and stood on either side of Vaughn, both remaining silent. The three stood there for a good five minutes before Vaughn felt as if someone was standing behind him. He turned his head to look, a scowl appearing on his face when his eyes met with the sight behind him.

"This is all you could come up with for my daughter?" The woman in front of him spoke. She looked just like his wife, however, the years of having a nasty attitude took a toll on her once beautiful face, making her a look like a selfish troll with an excess of makeup. Behind her was the rest of her family; husband, children, brothers, sisters, in-laws, all who had a blood relation to the grieving family.

"I told her not to marry you. But she insisted that it was what she wanted, that you loved her and would take care of her. And look where it got her now. Dead!"

Fellow mourners trying to leave turned their attention to the fight.

"It's ain't his fault that she died!" Mirabelle shot back at Vaughn's mother-in-law. "It ain't anyone's fault! So stop yelling at him fer it, 'cause right now it's the last thing he needs."

"Shut the hell up, you red neck hillbilly. I don't need dirt like you to tell me what to do." She yelled back, her face becoming more hideous than before.

"Don't you yell at my momma, like that you-"

"Like I care what you have to say, you little whore. I've seen what you prance around in, trying to seduce any man that comes your way." She turned her attention to Vaughn, who was still holding his sleeping child.

"And you," she pointed a finger at him; "you are not capable of taking care of my only grandchild. I know about your past, about how you're a violent person with an uncontrollable temper. I wouldn't be surprised if you killed my daughter. It runs in the family, like father like son. Who's to say that the saying doesn't apply to you?"

Mirabelle knew what was coming, quickly grabbing the baby from Vaughn's arms. Vaughn bared his teeth at her, staring at her with his fiery, amethyst eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU!" He roared, shocking the on lookers from afar.

"My wife is dead! My daughter has no mother, and now you wanna take her from me! Not only that, but you insult my family as well as myself, accusin' me of being a wife beatin' murder!" His voice held a steady stream of anger, neither wavering nor losing its power.

"I loved my wife!" He said, using his thumb to point at himself. He then pointed at her and proceeded to yell. "And YOU, you just can't accept the fact that she loved me. So back off! An ugly bitch like you ain't ever gettin' my daughter. And if you talk to my family like that again, I swear to God, you will regret ever being born."

Vaughn's mother-in-law stood there, speechless.

"Come on. I wanna go home." Vaughn said to his aunt and cousin. The three walked back to the rental car and drove off, before another fight could break out.

* * *

It was about two thirty in the afternoon when Vaughn, Julia, and Mirabelle walked into Vaughn's apartment. Vaughn placed the baby carrier on top of his coffee table, sat down on his leather couch, and undid the tie around his neck.

Julia took the baby out of the carrier, crinkling her nose in her process.

"Vaughn, the baby needs her diaper changed. Do you have any?" She asked him.

He nodded, standing up and walking back over to the same closet that once held the baby carrier. He came back holding a diaper in one hand and a box of wipes in the other.

"Do you have a changing table?" She asked him, seeing as how there wasn't one in plain sight.

Vaughn raised a silver eyebrow at his cousin. "A what?"

Julia lightly furrowed her eyebrows, a bit taken a back at the fact that he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Like a raised table to change the baby on. Ya normally put the baby supplies underneath."

"I'll just use the damn coffee table!" Vaughn snapped at her, taking the baby carrier off and dropping it to the floor.

Julia did not say anything to her cousin, as she carefully laid the baby down on the table.

After she finished, she handed the small child to her cousin, and went into the kitchen to dispose of the diaper in the trash can.

Vaughn awkwardly held his daughter, who was squirming in her sleep. He simply stared at her, still unable to comprehend that he had a part in creating her, that she was half of him, that he was a father.

"Vaughn, honey?" Mirabelle spoke softly, as she sat next to him.

"I don't mean to nag ya or anythin', but do ya even have a crib for her?"

Vaughn let out a sigh before speaking to her.

"No. She'll sleep in my bed."

"Clothes? Blankets? Bibs?"

"NO! No, I don't have anythin'." He snapped at her, slowly realizing her point.

"She was right! I ain't capable to take care of her! But I ain't givin' her away, either."

Vaughn was starting to get angry again. Not at his aunt, not at his cousin, but at himself. He felt weak, like an idiot who couldn't do anything at all.

Mirabelle put a hand on his shoulder and spoke softly to her nephew.

"Darlin', what you have to live with ain't gonna be easy. Havin' to take care of a baby is a big responsibility, somethin' you shouldn't do alone."

The sound of the baby cooing was heard, causing Vaughn's gaze to turn back to her. For the first time he saw her eyes, a beautiful replica of his own.

"What I'm tryna say is, I want you and the baby to move in with me an' Julia."

Vaughn's eyes quickly met with hers again, before he tried to protest.

"No. I ain't gonna be a burden on y'all."

"It's no burden. I have an extra bedroom and I want you to stay with me." She said to him with a strong voice. She had decided that she wasn't going to leave until he agreed to go back with her.

Vaughn sat there and thought for a minute, taking in all his options.

"What about my job? I gotta work."

"Your boss is one of our suppliers and an old friend of mine. I'm sure we could work somethin' out. Plus, you can work for me at my shop. Think about it. Who's gonna watch the baby when you have to go back to work?"

Vaughn said nothing to her. He just sat there, his face expressionless. His mind struggled to come up with reasons why not to move in with her, but ultimately, he came to a decision.

"Alright. I'll move in with ya." He surrendered.

Mirabelle took her hand off his shoulder, placing it into her lap.

"Good." She started. "We'll call your boss in the morning."

Vaughn nodded, adjusting the baby in his arms. He stared down at her for a few moments, recalling what he had decided during the funeral.

"I've decided on what to name her." He spoke softly, as if he were just speaking to his daughter.

Mirabelle gave a soft smile, gazing at the young father and his child.

"Rosalie"

* * *

I am so sorry if this is a bad chapter, but I had to get it done.

Thanks for all the name suggestions, but I decided to use Rosalie. It'll play into the plot. You'll see.

This chapter isn't how I planned it out, but I didn't know how to word it correctly, so.

And don't forget to pay attention. Hints about Vaughn's past are being revealed.

Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 2

**Ok, so, I'm really sorry for not updating, but I'm in college now so, yeah. Plus, I was kind of in a writing funk.**

**But now, I'm recovering, with plenty of new ideas for VaughnXChelsea one-shots.**

**I even have a Prideshipping one-shot in the works for all you Yu-Gi-Oh! fans out there.**

**To be honest, writing Mirabelle, Julia, and Vaughn's accents are a pain. I may just cut it and make you imagine that they have accents.**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed! Love you all!**

**

* * *

**

_**Chapter 2**_

Chelsea sighed as she placed the last of the milk into her shipping container. Although the work on her farm was done, she still had to take care of all the animals at Mirabelle's shop. Stretching her aching limbs, she recalled the event that occurred a few days before.

_The sound of the shops bell was heard, but for some reason, it wasn't followed by Mirabelle's warm greeting._

_"Mirabelle? Julia?" Chelsea called out when she noticed that neither of the two were in the shop's main room._

_Chelsea made her way to the kitchen, her eyes unprepared for the sight before her._

_The normally happy, peppy family sat at the table, frowns plastered on their tear stained faces._

_"Oh. I'm sorry for coming at a bad time. I'll come back later."_

_Mirabelle sniffled and gave the young girl a pathetic smile._

_"No, dear. It's fine. We...actually have a favor to ask of ya." She spoke softly as she wiped her eyes of any remaining wet residue. __"We, uh, just gotta telephone call from my nephew. He was blessed with a baby daughter not too long ago."_

_Chelsea refrained from giving any congratulations. She knew something bad must have happened for the two women to be in such a sullen mood._

_Before Mirabelle continued, the words her nephew spoke to her ran through her mind._

**_'She's dead. My wife is...dead.'_**

_Julia brought her hands to her face, covering the tears that streamed_ _along her cheeks._

_"His wife passed away."_

_Chelsea gasped, horrified at the words Mirabelle had just said. Although she had never met Mirabelle's nephew, she couldn't help but feel heart broken for him. For she, too, knew what it was like to lose a loved one unexpectedly. Someone who she thought she could never live without._

_"I'm so sorry." Was all she could say to them._

_Grabbing a tissue and wiping her nose, Mirabelle continued._

_"The funeral's gonna be in a few days, and, well, I was wonderin' if ya could take care of the animals while we were gone. It'd only be two days at the most. I'll even pay you fer all the work."_

_"Oh, Mirabelle. You don't have to pay me. I'd be glad to help."_

Chelsea sighed once again as she made her way down the windy path that lead to the town. As she came closer to the Animal shop, she realized that the windows were open, with the curtains drawn back.

'They're home!' She thought. It came as a surprise to her, seeing as how the young rancher wasn't expecting them to be back until later.

Her brisk walk turned into a quick jog, slowly coming to a stop before she opened the door. The bell rang, and as soon as she came into view, Mirabelle's warm voice greeted her.

"Hello, Chelsea, darlin'!"

Chelsea gave her a warm smile as she approached the counter Mirabelle was behind.

"Thank you again fer takin' care of the shop while we were gone. It really means a lot to us." A hint of sadness still lingering in her voice.

"It was no trouble at all. I was glad I could help." Chelsea said to her with a soft smile.

Silence made its presence known before Chelsea spoke again.

"How is your nephew doing?" She knew she would never meet this man in her life, but she still couldn't help but feel pity for him.

"He's...handling it like he handles everythin'." Mirabelle replied, shaking her head as the words flowed from her lips.

Looking towards the floor, Chelsea wasn't sure what she had meant by it, but she knew not to press on the subject.

"You'll be meetin' him soon."

Chelsea's head shot back up, her gaze meeting Mirabelle's.

"I convinced 'im to move in with me, so he won't hafta do this himself."

Her face was very serious, her eyes distant, as if she were speaking to herself. Before Chelsea could say anything, Mirabelle's eyes returned to normal.

"Could I ask you to do me one more favor? I had Gannon craft a crib, but he can't bring it over right now. Could you possibly get it and bring it here? It has wheels, so all ya gotta do is push it."

Chelsea gave a huge smile and nodded her head. "Sure! It's no problem!"

* * *

About ten minutes later, came walking up the pathway, pushing a beautifully crafted crib in front of her. As she came to Mirabelle's shop, she quickly propped the door open, and proceeded to push the crib inside.

"Mirabelle. I'm back with it." She called, noticing that the shop owner's presence was missing from her usual spot.

Chelsea poked her head into the kitchen to see if the woman had been in there. Instead, her eyes landed on a small bundle nestled softly in a baby carrier on top of the kitchen table, completely forgetting about Mirabelle.

"Oh my goodness, look at you." Chelsea softly cooed to the tiny child. Her tiny amethyst eyes were partially open, giving her a sleepy look.

The baby let out a small yawn, causing Chelsea to fall more in love and mesmerized with her. So mesmerized, that she did not notice the presence of a person behind her.

* * *

Vaughn leaned against the dresser in his new room, unsure of what he should be doing. Moving into his aunt's was fairly easy, considering he had very few personal items. He convinced his aunt to let him keep the apartment, seeing as how he would need a place to stay during the days he traveled to the city for his job. His boss wasn't too happy about losing his best worker for a majority of the week; however he knew that it was better than not having him at all.

So here he was, single father, working two jobs, and living with his aunt and cousin once again. He didn't want these arrangements to be permanent, with only two other possible options. The first would be to hire a babysitter, but that would include not only leaving his child in the hands of a stranger, but also spending money. The second would be to find another wife. And that was something he promised never to do.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and closing, and two voices talking in the shop. One he identified as his aunt, the other belonging to an unknown resident. As quickly as the conversation had started, it had ended, with the door moving yet again. Footsteps were heard, increasing in sound as they approached his door, followed by a light knock. Vaughn walked over and opened it, his aunt standing before him.

"I sent the local rancher to the carpenter's to pick up the crib. She should be back in a couple minutes. If ya need anythin', I'll be in the back helping Julia with the animals." She said to him with a warm smile.

Vaughn nodded and closed the door after his aunt walked away. He returned to his spot against the dresser, his mind falling victim to his endless thoughts.

After a couple minutes, his mind was interrupted by small noises being made from the baby on the bed. He walked over and sat down beside her, noticing that she had woken from her sleep. Looking over at the clock, he decided that it was probably time to feed her.

Vaughn grabbed the baby carrier next to the bed and placed her inside. He walked her into the kitchen and placed her on the table, before returning to his room to retrieve the formula and bottle.

Upon entering the room, he heard the door open, followed by the same voice from earlier, calling for his aunt. After looking through the bag of baby supplies, he found a bottle and a can of formula and proceeded to go back to the kitchen.

As he approached, he noticed a young woman with chestnut hair and a red bandana on top of her head making a fuss over his daughter.

"Who're you?" He asked rather bluntly, causing the girl to flinch from being startled.

Nothing could have prepared Vaughn for what happened next.

* * *

**Yes, I am a horrible person, but I promise to update soon!**

**Please review! Love you all!**


	4. Chapter 3

Ok, so I felt bad about making you guys wait forever for the last chapter, so I decided to start this one. It might switch views a bit, like the last one, but I'll separate it with a line, so you won't get too confused.

* * *

_**Chapter 3**_

The girl before him flinched in surprise, before turning to face him. Vaughn's face completely drained of color when his amethysts made contact with her sapphires. Her eyes widened a bit and a hint of red flushed across her cheeks.

"Hi. I'm Chelsea, the local rancher." She extended a hand to the shell shocked man before her.

Vaughn made no sound, his heart pounding harder, his breathing becoming ragged. A loud clatter was heard, however it did not bring him back to his senses to realize that he had dropped the can and bottle. Chelsea looked at him with concern plastered on her face.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him, moving closer to him.

Vaughn began to back away as she came forward, stammering on his words. "I-it's not…it's not possible…"

"Vaughn, honey, what's wrong?"

Vaughn quickly turned around to face his aunt. His emotions became a swirling tornado mess as he struggled to try and wake up from this unfortunate reality.

"Get 'er outta here!" He growled before stomping off to his room, slamming the door behind him.

The sound of Rosalie's cry was the only noise that was heard, as the two stood there in absolute shock.

"What's all of the commotion?" Julia asked, walking into the room after finishing with the animals.

She looked to Chelsea, who had a few tears welling up in her eyes.

"Chelsea, are you alright?" Noticing the glistening in the girl's Sapphire eyes.

Chelsea blinked as an attempt to rid herself of her tears.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just going."

She ran out of the shop, hearing Mirabelle call her name, before her will power gave into more tears.

"Momma, what happened? Did Vaughn say something to her?" Julia asked her mother.

"I-I honestly don't know what happened…" Mirabelle started, still dumbfounded from the scene that had played moments before.

Coming back to her senses, she spoke again. "You go tend to Chelsea. I'll deal with Vaughn."

Julia nodded before heading out the door, after her friend.

Mirabelle turned her attention to the crying baby. Picking up the bottle and can, she entered the kitchen to make the baby's formula.

'I'll give him a few minutes to cool off.' She thought to herself.

* * *

Vaughn paced around the small space of his room as he tried to calm his nerves. However, it proved to be ineffective. With each passing second, his heart began to race faster as he replayed the scene over and over in his mind.

"I-impossible…" he softly spoke to himself.

Chelsea's face flashed through his mind. The image of her big, blue eyes, her kind expression, and her chestnut brown hair…

"She looks exactly like her" he spoke once again.

Walking over to the left side of his bed, Vaughn leaned himself up against the wall. After taking in a deep breath, he slid down against the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He took his hat off and mindlessly began to play with its' rim, something he did when in deep thought.

Suddenly, the door to the room creaked open. Vaughn looked up and saw Mirabelle holding the baby in one arm, while the other held the bottle that fed her. She slowly walked over to the side the young cowboy was on, and sat on the bed. Letting out a sigh, she began to talk to him.

"Vaughn, honey. I-I don't know what went on back there, and quite frankly, I wanna know." Her voice was soft, filled with concern and great passion.

Vaughn ran a hand through his silver hair and sighed.

"She looks just like her, Aunt Mura-belle." He said to her, staring at the wooden floor before him.

"Who, honey?" She asked him, unclear of what he meant.

"Her hair, her eyes, her face, her voice…even her damn smile. She looks just like her, Aunt Mura-belle!" He raised his voice as he became angry.

Mirabelle's eyes became wide as realization struck her. She had never really seen Vaughn's wife before, except for in pictures and of course, when she was laid out in the casket. It did not dawn on her until now that Chelsea was almost an exact replica of the woman her nephew had lost.

"I'm sorry, Vaughn, I-I never realized it. But you can't be blamin' Chelsea for it! She can't help the way she looks."

He continued to stare at the ground before him, tracing the patterns in the wood with his eyes.

Mirabelle gave a light sigh before continuing, her words still as soft as when she started.

"Right now, she thinks she did something wrong to upset you… I'm not forcing you to apologize to her, but just know that she's had it rough, too."

The sound of the baby sucking the formula out of her bottle was the only thing heard after Mirabelle finished speaking.

Vaughn finally turned his gaze towards his aunt, his infamous, stoic expression once again plastered on his face. Although he heard and understood every word his aunt had spoken, the young cowboy had one thought in his mind.

'Avoid at all costs.'

* * *

"Chelsea?" Julia called as she slowly climbed up the ladder on the side of the rancher's beautiful house.

Her hard work during her first year of farming had paid off when she was able to upgrade her shabby, little house. Since she loved to spend time alone to let her mind wander free, Chelsea requested from Gannon that the roof of her house be made so she could go up and sit there safely.

Carefully walking across the roof, Julia found her friend sitting against her chimney. Although she had stopped crying, her eyes were still wet with tears and her face a bit red.

"Chelsea…I'm sorry about my cousin. He's…not really a people person."

"No, it's my fault, Julia. I was in the kitchen looking at the baby when he came in. I guess he thought I was a stranger who had bad intentions…" Chelsea spoke to her.

"No, Chelsea, it ain't your fault. He's just a big, old grouch." Julia joked, hoping to lighten her friends' mood.

Chelsea sighed and gave the blonde a small smile.

"You're a good friend, Jules." She said to her.

Julia smiled at her as well, glad that her friend was feeling a bit better.

"You know, it was weird…" Chelsea began, recalling the event that had occurred.

"His expression. It seemed like he was staring at a ghost or something."

Julia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I'd tell you that I would ask him later, but he'd just tell me to mind my own business."

She gave a light chuckle after finishing her sentence. Chelsea smiled again as she stood up, stretching her limbs.

"Let's go to the Diner, I'm kind of hungry." She said to Julia.

The blonde nodded and stood up as well. On their way there, Chelsea kept one thought in her mind.

'I'm going to make every effort I can to befriend him.'

* * *

I know, it's short and cruddy, but bear with me. I'll try and update soon. Happy Halloween!


	5. Chapter 4

_**You all can thank Random Jelly Beans for the update.**_

_**:D**_

_**

* * *

**_

**_Chapter 4 _**

The sound of rain was heard as Vaughn opened his eyes for what seemed like the millionth time. Heavy with sleep, he had to force his eyes in the direction of his clock.

5:58 am.

He cursed silently, groaning as he drug his weakened body out of bed and over to the crib on the other side of the room.

He looked down at reason for his insomnia. The night proved to be a restless one for him and the tiny child, who ironically at the moment, was sleeping peacefully.  
The young cowboy quietly walked over to his dresser, where he pulled out a black undershirt, putting it on to cover his bare chest. He slipped on yesterdays jeans, and left the bedroom, leaving the door open in case the baby cried for attention.

Because it was Saturday, the only day of the week the shop was closed, Mirabelle and Julia were not around, but instead enjoying an extra hour of sleep.  
Vaughn opened the refrigerator, eyes scanning to see what ingredients were at his disposal. He pulled out a canister of milk and some cooked rice, setting it on the counter so he could grab a hold of a pot. After placing the ingredients inside, he turned the stove dial all the way down, slowly stirring the rice and milk. He pulled out three bowls and filled one up, placing it on the table for it to cool to the temperature he liked.

"Oh, honey, you didn't have to cook breakfast!"

He turned his head to see his aunt and cousin walking into the kitchen.

Julia made her way over to Vaughn, looking inside the pot.

"Porridge? You DEFINITELY didn't have to cook breakfast."

"Least when I cook, it's edible." Vaughn retorted, dumping some porridge into a bowl and shoving into his cousin. Vaughn saw Julia stick her tongue out at him, while he glared daggers back.

"Knock it off, you two. You're acting just like when you were teenagers." Mirabelle lightheartedly said as she began to make the coffee.

The three sat down, Mirabelle and Julia beginning to eat, while Vaughn waited for his to cool.

"I almost forgot how picky you were with your food, Vaughn." Julia spoke in between spoonfuls.

Vaughn opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by his aunt instead.

"I was thinking that Julia could show you around town after the two of you get dressed for the day. She could introduce you to the locals and show you all the places around here."

Vaughn grunted in partial acceptance. He would have rather gone by himself, but considering he knew next to nothing of these islands, he decided that it would be best.

"What about the baby?" He asked before taking a spoonful of his cooled porridge.

"I'll be able to watch after her. The only thing I do on Saturdays is talk with Felicia over coffee." Mirabelle said to him.

"Do I have to tell 'em about her?"

Mirabelle set down her spoon and used a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"Well," she began, fingering the handle of her coffee mug, "it would be best. You don't have to tell them the whole story, just that she's yours. Otherwise, people will start wondering where the baby came from, and then rumors will start." She chuckled at the end, knowing that the islands were infamous for local rumors.

"Don't worry, I'll do most of the talking." Julia said to him.

"Alright. S'long as people don't stick their noses in my business." Vaughn spoke to them.

Mirabelle nodded her head before standing up to put her bowl in the sink.

"I'm going to go feed the animals. Julia, you can brush them when you come back later."

Julia let out a playful groan as her mother walked towards the back, and then turned to face her cousin.

"I'll do the dishes. I don't want you to think I'm useless around here."

Vaughn handed her dish, speaking as he walked past her.

"Too late fer that."

It took a moment for his words to sink in.  
"Oh, you're so mean Vaughn!" She playfully whined.  
The blonde was just glad to see her cousin start to act normally, again.

~~~~~~~~~~

The warm water beating against his skin slightly relaxed his tense body. Closing his eyes, Vaughn began to wonder if he made the right choice by coming to these islands. He really didn't care what the other residents thought of him, as long as they let him be. He just wanted to live his life here and get it over with. After all, there wasn't much for him to look forward to…

After getting himself dressed, Vaughn stole a glance at his sleeping child one last time, reassuring himself that his aunt was more than capable of taking care of the small infant.

"Go on, honey. It's just for a few hours."

Vaughn turned his head to see his aunt standing in the doorway. He adjusted his hat and nodded, his stoic expression keeping its place.

"Don't forget to take an umbrella with you. The rain may have stopped for now, but it looks like it's going to be off and on all day."

Mirabelle stepped into the room to clear the doorway so Vaughn could make his way through.

The cowboy grunted and made his way to the shop part of the house, where his bubbly cousin was already waiting.

"Oh, I can't wait for you to meet Elliot! He's just the cutest thing!" She said to him, handing him an umbrella.

Vaughn rolled his eyes as he grabbed it from her, and made his way out the door. The two started on Sprout Island, where Vaughn was introduced to the many different types of people who inhabited the area.

"I'm Lanna, the pop star! I'm sure you've heard of me, if you're from the city!" A blonde who happened to be livelier than Julia said.

"Can't say I have." Vaughn replied with an emotionless tone, causing the girl to pout.

"Oh, you must have bad taste in music then!" The girl stomped.

Vaughn just grunted. Of course he could have argued the fact that his taste in music wasn't in fact bad, considering that his favorite band was more famous than she would ever be, but instead he chose the easy path, the one that got him away from her.

He was actually a bit surprised to discover that residents really didn't press too much about his personal life, as if they new not to ask.

"You have a kid? That's cool. How old is she?" Denny, the local fisherman asked, as he reeled in a large fish with ease.

"S'only a few days old." He said to him.

"Cool, man. I'll have to stop by to see her or something."

~  
The two made their way back to Verdure Island, umbrellas open in hand to prevent the light rain from hitting them.

"Hello, Felicia!" Julia greeted a middle-aged woman with reddish pink colored hair.

"Oh Julia, are you here to see Elliot?" Her voice was a soothing sound, perfect for a loving mother.

"No, actually, I wanted to introduce my cousin to you and your family."

Felicia then noticed Vaughn standing about a foot to the side of Julia.

"Oh, hello dear. I didn't see you standing there. Come in, both of you." She said, granting the two entrance into her home.

Felicia gathered her family, which consisted of two children Vaughn guessed to be around his age, and an elderly man, the woman's father.

"It's good to see more strong, young men come to this island. Maybe you'll be a good influence to my grandson. He needs to become stronger. Back in my day…" The old man named Taro began to ramble on about how his strength improved each day on the farm, causing Vaughn to zone out. However, before he got too into the story, he sidetracked himself, catching the young cowboy off guard.

"Speaking of farm, have you gone up to meet Chelsea yet?"

Vaughn stood, a puzzled expression making its presence known for a split second.

"Who?"

Before Taro could speak again, Julia intervened. "Oh, yes. He already met her."

The blonde was still unsure of what caused yesterday's events, and wanted to prevent him from going off again.

"Well, she's a hard worker! Her farm is almost as good as mine was back then."

It was obvious that the old man was a bit proud of himself, but who knows, he could have been the greatest rancher alive.

Julia and Vaughn bid there farewell, and continued on, their last stop being the church on Mystic Islands. The two were about to enter the holy building, when Julia stopped abruptly, causing Vaughn to run into her.

"What the hell, Julia?" He said to her, obviously annoyed.

"Um, I forgot that Alisa and Nathan aren't in the church now. They both go over to Meadow Island for an hour. People normally come in and pray during that time."

Vaughn raised a silver eyebrow at his cousin. He knew there was some reason why she didn't want him going in there, but instead of questioning it, he turned around and headed for the boat. He had enough socializing for one day.

The two walked into the Animal shop to see Mirabelle talking to Felicia, who was currently fussing over Rosalie.

"Oh, dear, your baby is just too adorable! It makes me more excited for the day Natalie decides to have her own." Felicia said to Vaughn, who handed him the baby.

"I'm sure you've missed her all day. I don't want to keep her from you." The woman spoke, then continued to gossip to Mirabelle about events and people on the islands.

Vaughn brought the baby back into his room, where he put her to sleep in her crib. He took off his hat and vest, and laid down on his bed, hands behind his back. Sure, he enjoyed being able to relax, but he couldn't wait to get back to work. He needed other things to occupy his time, not just his thoughts. He turned his head to face his nightstand, where a lone frame stood, the only photo he had of him and his wife. His heart ached for her, but his mind pushed it back, hiding the pain so that he couldn't feel it. But unknown to him, he wasn't ridding himself of the pain, rather storing it away, letting it build up in the space it was allotted, waiting to bust.

* * *

_**So, I'm really sorry for the crappy chapter. To be honest, this is just filler. Some tiny important things are foreshadowed, but I'm not telling you what they are.**_

_**If this chapter has a lot of errors and misspellings, I'm sorry, but it's almost 2 am, and I wanted to get this out before I went to bed.**_


End file.
